Category: News

by Jake Schmidt

In the late morning hours Saturday in Copenhagen, the overwhelming majority of countries adopted a new framework for addressing global warming.  This new agreement—called the Copenhagen Accord (available here)—was hammered out by 28 of the world’s key countries.  These countries represent over 80 percent of the world’s global warming pollution (both energy emissions and deforestation) and the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. 

This agreement was hammered out Friday evening by heads of government on Friday from key countries, including the U.S., China, India, Brazil, South Africa, U.K., France, Australia, Germany, the E.U., Japan, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Russia, Mexico, Spain, South Korea, Norway, the Maldives, Columbia, and Indonesia.  The Accord is now open for other countries to sign-up, but by our count the vote (at least in the open debate) was 188-5 for its adoption (as we noted here) as a handful of climate laggards were the only countries that voted against its adoption (as my colleague Heather Allen compiled here).

As NRDC’s President said in a statement:

This agreement is not all we had hoped for. There’s still more work to be done. But it strikes a credible blow against the single greatest environmental ill of our time. It gathers all nations around the common goal of ending this scourge that imperils us all. And it sets the stage for further action in the months ahead.  Now the Senate can take up clean energy and climate legislation in the certain knowledge that Americans won’t act alone.

From afar it is a little hard to figure out what exactly happened (and probably even for people that watched it first hand as “this was not your regular climate negotiations”).  My head is blurry from lack of sleep and the craziness of the last day, but here is what was accomplished (I’ll try to post more detailed pieces on each aspect later).

1.     Heads of Government from key Countries are engaged.  This meeting brought together 115 heads of government to discuss global warming.  And they weren’t just there for speeches, but to reach a deal.  In fact, they were doing more than that as a key sub-segment of leaders were actually negotiating with other leaders, arm twisting, and pushing for agreement. 

In my years of these negotiations I’ve never seen such a high-level commitment to the substance of action (usually when these leaders get together they just make speeches and leave).  World leaders—most notably President Obama—took over these negotiations and used everything in their power to push forward an agreement in Copenhagen (as you can read this coverage from the Washington Post about how Obama worked with and nudged the Chinese).  

2.     All major emitting countries will have to commit to take action and solidify them in the international agreement.  As I discussed (here and here), all major emitting countries will now have to internationally commit to specific efforts to reduce emissions.  And by the end of January 2010 those commitments will be brought forward and established officially in the Accord (in Appendix I and Appendix II). 

So you may be looking at the agreement as void of commitments to reduce emissions, but that will come in just over one month from now.  But by the end of January we’ll have commitments enshrined in the agreement from at least the 28 key countries that drafted this agreement.  And as countries undertake greater action they will report them (as I discuss in point 3) and these actions will be inscribed in the Copenhagen Accord.  So we’ll effectively create a means for countries to undertake increasing commitments that are inscribed in the Accord and if done right we’ll create an ongoing negotiation on the stringency of those actions. 

So now the countries representing more than 85 percent of the world’s global warming pollution will commit domestically and internationally to take action to reduce their emissions.  That is a first and a very significant move (as my colleague also noted here).        

3.     We will have a system to regularly know whether or not countries are making progress towards their commitments.  This turned out to be one of the key sticking points going into the final days of the negotiations—in particular between the U.S. and China (as my colleagues discussed here, here, and here). 

And there was a very significant breakthrough on this front in Copenhagen.  Every two years developing countries will have to report national emissions inventories and emission reduction actions based upon internationally agreed guidelines.  Those emissions reduction actions:

will be subject to their domestic measurement, reporting, and verification the result of which will be reported through their national communications every two years … they will communicate information on the implementation of their actions through National Communications, with provisions for international consultations and analysis under clearly defined guidelines that will ensure that national sovereignty is respected.

The reporting of emissions and actions every 2 years, as well as the international consultation under defined guidelines will both add greater transparency to developing country commitments.  

4.     We secured real commitments to finance for investing in efforts in developing countries to reduce deforestation, emissions, and adapt to the impacts of global warming.  Countries agreed to support $10 billion over the next 3 years for these actions—$5 billion of which is going to deforestation reductions.  And developed countries agreed to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion per year by 2020 “in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation” (a proposal supported by Sec. Clinton in the final days of the negotiations which was a shot of adrenaline).

Not done yet, but the world built the foundation for a big step forward.  While some people seem to be focused on what is not agreed in the Copenhagen Accord, we have to separate our expectations for Copenhagen with what we need in the final agreement.  After all, we weren’t going to get a legally binding treaty out of Copenhagen as was recognized by key world leaders back in October (as I noted here). 

Going into Copenhagen, I stressed that there were six key elements to the international agreement (as I outlined here).  And on each of those fronts we made progress.  Are we done yet on these issues?  Of course not, we can and must do more on each element if we are going to truly address global warming.  Did we get all the details that we need on each element?  No, unfortunately for political reasons (e.g., lack of U.S. Senate action) and due to the blocking of a small number of countries, the agreement reached in Copenhagen will have to be further fleshed out in the coming months (and years).  On some issues there is less work to do than on others, but on all we only finalized part of the details necessary.

But despite these caveats, this Accord was a very significant step in the world’s efforts to address global warming.  For the first time, all major economies, including China, India, Brazil, the United States, Russia, Japan, and the European Union, have made commitments to curb global warming pollution and report on their actions and emissions in a transparent fashion.

Related Links:

Greenpeace Spain demands Denmark release its director

What happens now for the forests?

Copenhagen coal in the stocking?

ICP is seeking a Summer of Service (SOS) Fellow for an appointment of one year to begin as soon as possible.

Description
The Service Fellow Program is a post-graduate opportunity aimed at developing recent college graduates’ professional skills in the nonprofit arena. ICP will select a full-time Fellow to work as part of ICP’s core team on its Summer of Service (SOS) Initiative, which aims to support and encourage the development of successful SOS programs that engage low-income, at-risk middle school students in improving their communities while engaging in experiential learning that increases their potential for access and success in college and beyond.

ICP is entering the second year of a new three-year project to develop SOS resources and ICP’s capacity to provide guidance and assistance to organizations interested in creating or improving SOS programs, while continuing to build awareness and support for SOS as an effective strategy and much-needed program for America’s youth. ICP is working with two consultants on developing program design and evaluation toolkits, Program Insights (multimedia web pages highlighting exemplary SOS programs) and a training module, in addition to advancing development of our SOS Resource Center.

The Service Fellow will be an integral part of the team, with primary responsibility for continuing to improve, research and manage information for maintain the SOS Resource Center, as well as assisting the project consultants and pilot organizations, and providing overall support for the SOS initiative.

Terms of appointment
The Service Fellow Program is a one-year, full-time fellowship. Salary will be $22,000 for the year and includes health and dental benefits. For best consideration, please submit your application by Friday, January 15, 2010. Applicants will be interviewed on a rolling basis. The position would ideally begin as soon as possible.

Activities of the Service Fellow
Because ICP has a small staff, we are able to work with each Fellow individually to construct a work plan that takes into account both the needs of the organization and the preferences and strengths of the Fellow. The Summer of Service initiative is managed by an ICP Program Associate and ICP’s Executive Director. The Fellow will work directly with the Program Associate.

Project involvement will focus on the following work areas: website development and maintenance, research, partnership development, and communications. Fellow assignments include:

1. Improving and building the SOS Online Resource Center – Identify and collect materials and resources, research and write about featured programs, identify existing SOS programs through desk and survey research and enter information into the Program Database. Incorporate text, video and photos into Program Insights web templates and assist in collecting new materials. Facilitate the SOS online discussion forum and assist in hosting webinars.
2. Research assistance – Assist consultant(s) in researching promising practices in the field; research models outside of SOS that could provide initial best practices.
3. Project support – Assist Program Associate and consultants in completing toolkits, piloting them in summer 2010 and revising as needed.
4. Communications – Write SOS updates for the ICP newsletter and special SOS editions of the newsletter. Promote new materials. Assist with communication with SOS programs and Resource Center users. Assist in networking with other organizations and stakeholders.
5. Fundraising – Assist Program Associate and Development Associate in fundraising tasks for SOS, including researching funding opportunities, writing letters of inquiry and proposals, and writing grant reports.

Required Qualifications
Applicants will have the following qualifications:

1. A strong interest in service-learning, civic participation, college access and community development;
2. Previous website maintenance, database and multi-media experience
3. Excellent analytical, writing, and organizational skills;
4. Previous research experience, preferably in the social sciences or education fields;
5. Creative, highly organized, and responsible;
6. Comfortable working independently and as part of a team under time pressure, and multi-tasking;
7. Bachelor’s degree required;
8. US work authorization required.

Desired Qualifications

1. Service-learning, afterschool/summer and/or college access program knowledge and experience;
2. Website design knowledge and skills, especially interactive website development

Application Procedure
Applications should include the following:

1. Cover letter
2. Resume
3. Writing sample: 1000-1500 words; please use your judgment about the writing sample you include and explain why the writing sample you chose is relevant to ICP and the SOS Fellow position
4. Three references

Please note that due to high application volume, applications missing any of these required components will be immediately discarded without review.

All materials should be submitted to Kelly Fox, Office Manager via email at fox {at} icicp(.)org.

Summer of Service
ICP proposed a national Summer of Service (SOS) program to help communities create positive alternatives for middle school students during summer vacations. In the summer months, the lack of constructive activities and opportunities for young people often results in academic decline, risky behavior, and an increased likelihood of failing to make the transition to high school. Yet, when young people participate in service activities they are better able to control their own lives in a positive way, avoid risky behaviors, strengthen their community connections and become more engaged in their own education. A national SOS would enable a large number of young teens to participate in service as a “rite of passage” from middle to high school and provide opportunities for them to enter their teenage years with a positive experience that reinforces community connections, enlivens their education, and strengthens personal and civic values. At the same time, communities across America might find an important new resource in their own backyards – young people who are ready to serve, if only they are asked and provided the opportunity to do so.

ICP’s three-year initiative will promote SOS as an effective strategy that can be utilized by college access organizations and networks, as well as other educational, out-of-school and youth development organizations to increase young people’s access to and success in college. Through this initiative, ICP aims to provide high quality resources and assistance to organizations interested in designing, implementing, evaluation and improving SOS programs.

About the Service Fellow Program
Innovations in Civic Participation created the Service Fellow Program in order to expose recent college graduates with an interest in service and civic participation to the workings of an internationally focused non-profit organization. ICP is structured to afford each Fellow the opportunity to work closely with a small team dedicated to improving opportunities for young people around the world to play an important role in addressing critical community needs.

About Innovations in Civic Participation
Innovations in Civic Participation (ICP) is a nonprofit organization supporting the development of innovative high-quality youth civic engagement policies and programs both in the US and around the world.

ICP is a leader in the global movement to promote sustainable development and social change through youth civic engagement. We embrace a positive view of young people that recognizes their potential to create beneficial and lasting social change in their communities through active participation in service opportunities.

More information about ICP’s programs can be found at www.icicp.org

Each year, Florida’s college students spend thousands of hours serving their communities while making a lasting difference in the lives of countless individuals. Florida Campus Compact is pleased to honor 3-6 of Florida’s most dedicated student service scholars each year who are making a positive impact through their contribution of service. The student recipients of the 2009 Excellence in Service Awards will each receive $500, free registration to the 2010 Student Scholars’ Institute, and visible recognition for their efforts throughout the state. Any full-time college student at an accredited Florida higher education institution, public or private, is eligible to apply.

Looking for volunteer opportunities or ways to give back to the community?
Have an interest in teaching and business?

Volunteer to teach a business and entrepreneurship program for incarcerated and court-involved youth and adults in Massachusetts.

The Entrepreneurship 101 Course, part of the Massachusetts Community Outreach Initiative, is currently recruiting volunteers to teach three fantastic programs:

(1) to adults in prison (including those in Middleton, Framingham, and Boston)
(2) to youth in juvenile detention; and
(3) to people in the community with criminal records.

This is a unique experience that allows you to share your education and experience with those that really need some guidance. Our students are engaged, enthusiastic and appreciative of the opportunity to participate in such a valuable program. Our courses have a tremendous impact on our students – and you will gain valuable life experiences and perspective.

Please contact Baillie Aaron at baillieaaron {at} theMCOI(.)org if you are interested or have further questions.

—————————————————————–
The Massachusetts Community Outreach Initiative (MCOI) is a non-profit organization helping youthful and adult offenders bridge the transition from incarceration to the community. Its goal is to provide clients with a greater opportunity to succeed utilizing entrepreneurship education and business mentorship. For more information, visit www.theMCOI.org.

Through a grant from the Verizon Foundation, 18 Southwestern University student interns worked full-time for 10 weeks during the summers of 2008 and 2009 for agencies committed to addressing the epidemic of domestic and family violence. Our nonprofit partners included two domestic violence shelters, a forensic interview and counseling center for physically/sexually abused children, a shelter exclusively for children removed from their homes by Child Protective Services, an agency targeting families with a history of violence directly tied to substance abuse, and the victims’ assistance unit of local law enforcement. Students served as case managers, counselors, advocates, prevention and resource specialists, teachers, and caregivers. These internships allowed students to integrate into the work environment, essentially, as short-term staff members. The work was intentionally designed to maximize the students’ understanding of respective organizational mission, vision, infrastructure, target population, and assessment of true impact, and, at the same time, to be of the greatest use to organizational staff.

Agencies provided training and mentoring to interns to develop an understanding of the complexities of the organization as well as the issue of violence itself. The student-community partner relationship was entirely based upon principles of reciprocity: community partners received much-needed summer help and students gained insight and experience around a pressing social problem. The program allowed students who already had a passion for the issue to explore it in greater depth, and by implementing the program over the summer and paying students a salary, they were able to focus fully on the work without having to balance a full-time academic workload or other employment.

The program ensured that students kept their focus on their internship work by providing campus housing and a work stipend to each student intern. These provisions eliminated students’ concerns about costs and the need to earn wages, and allowed our partnering agencies to count the interns’ labor as volunteer help, which was helpful for their grant-seeking and making.

Campus housing served another purpose: to build community among the students and create a shared space for support and reflection. Each week, the interns came together to share a meal, to “unpack” experiences, and to reflect on the work. Throughout the 10 weeks, students shared their thoughts on daily triumphs and challenges, discussed the social and public systems that mitigate the perpetuation of violence, debated possible solutions, and formed their individual notions of how to affect change. Our community partners participated in these meetings as well – not just as experts who shed light on the causes of and responses to domestic and family violence – but as community members who understood the challenges of dealing with these issues in such a direct way. Our partners, as well as Southwestern’s Counseling Services Office, provided critical support for all participants in the program to ensure that they processed their experiences in the field in healthy ways.

The program was one of guided experience in the field and guided reflection at the University – an intentional, structured, experiential, and community-based learning opportunity that mutually benefited both students and community partners. It effectively raised their awareness about a key issue in our community that is often underestimated, misunderstood, or ignored, and each of them has committed to continuing to work on the issue not just as undergraduates, but as professionals and educated citizens.

As the summer portion of the program concluded, students were charged with educating and raising awareness about this issue among the campus and greater community throughout the current academic year. They are actualizing this commitment by serving as leaders in campus programs dealing with violence, developing community-based learning projects related to their summer experiences within their classes, and continuing to work as volunteers for the partnering agencies with which they were placed over the summer. Participating students who have since graduated from Southwestern have already used the experience as a catalyst that led them to a specific research area or social work focus in graduate school, to become Americorps*VISTAs, and to pursue work as child advocates.

By giving students the ability to become immersed in the work of our community partners, creating a consistent and safe place for reflection, requiring students to continue their work in a sustained, protracted way, and removing the financial barriers to participation in such meaningful exploration, we believe this is a model from which other higher education institutions and nonprofits dealing with myriad social justice issues can benefit, from which students can develop genuine understandings of social problems and their complexities, and from which others in the community-based learning movement can learn.

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Videos, BMW

The next BMW 3 Series, codenamed F30, was filmed at a gas station enduring some cold weather testing. Even in its psychedelic-swirl coating, the mule shows that the 5 Series’ growth was no aberration — the next 3 will be large. Watch for the man to emerge from the back seat in the video. Not long ago he wouldn’t have even fit in a 3’er.

That’s not all der neue 3 takes from its larger sibling: the elevated hoodline and what appears to be a return to unfussy lines down the side are also noted. We’ve yet to see much in the way of tech details, but the car will share its chassis with the next 1 Series, and this could be the 3 to receive the full weight of BMW’s ActiveHybrid and EfficientDynamics goodies. Whatever engine they’ve got in this prototype, though, sounds good. Follow the jump for the video. Hat tip to Alexander

[Source: Bimmer Post]

Continue reading Spy Video: F30 BMW 3 Series caught winter testing

Spy Video: F30 BMW 3 Series caught winter testing originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Dec 2009 19:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just over a year ago, we were excited to report on a new website for programmers. StackOverflow was the brainchild of coders/rockstars Joel Spolsky and Jeff Atwood, and it was a social Q&A channel that promised to give programmers solutions for even the most obscure bugs.

Apparently, that approach to developer support was a solid one. These days, the site gets well over half a million unique visitors a month and has served as a prototype for white-label Q&A sites for companies, too. The site’s latest merit badge is an official nod from the Android team, which has announced StackOverflow as the official home of Android developer Q&A support.

Sponsor

Android rep Roman Nurik wrote in a blog post, “We’re working with StackOverflow to improve developer support, especially for developers new to Android. In essence, the Android tag on Stack Overflow will become an official Android app development Q&A medium.”

Nurik further noted that StackOverflow’s format was particularly helpful for beginners new to the Android platform. However, he did state, “It’s also important to point out that we don’t plan to change the android-developers group, so intermediate and expert users should still feel free to post there.”

The StackOverflow “Digg for developers” model has worked well for all kinds of programmers, clearly. The models has also been successfully applied to such diverse topics as mathematics, parenting and even World of Warcraft – all built on the company’s StackExchange white-label platform.

Discuss

Here’s a stark warning to Barack Obama and Tim Geithner, courtesy of Zhu Min, deputy governor of the People’s Bank of China.

ShanghaiDaily: IT is getting harder for governments to buy United States Treasuries because the US’s shrinking current-account gap is reducing supply of dollars overseas, a Chinese central bank official said yesterday.

The comments by Zhu Min, deputy governor of the People’s Bank of China, referred to the overall situation globally, not specifically to China, the biggest foreign holder of US government bonds.

Strictly speaking, this shouldn’t be a problem. Foreigners don’t technically fund our Federal deficit — what they fund is our current accounts deficit, and if that’s shrinking then the need to fund that debt diminishes.

Still, the message Min is trying to get across is clear.

In a discussion on the global role of the dollar, Zhu told an academic audience that it was inevitable that the dollar would continue to fall in value because Washington continued to issue more Treasuries to finance its deficit spending.

He then addressed where demand for that debt would come from.

“The United States cannot force foreign governments to increase their holdings of Treasuries,” Zhu said, according to an audio recording of his remarks. “Double the holdings? It is definitely impossible.”

And don’t miss: How China is already dumping the dollar >>

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• China Hires Pimco’s Changhong Zhu To Manage Country’s Giant Forex Reserves
• Don’t Worry About Government Debt, America Knows Exactly How To Deal With It
• China’s Dumping Of The Dollar Has Begun

People slip and fall constantly in their homes. Some falls can be prevented. Some can’t. Making sure you take the proper precautions to reduce the chance of someone falling and injuring him or herself in your home is a smart idea and fairly easy to do.

One of the simplest ways to cut down on accidents is to make sure that cable, phone and extension cords are all neatly tucked out of the way. Most companies require technicians to run cords around the edges of a room or under a rug. If you decide to add another tv set to your home, make sure you do the same thing. If you don’t have a rug and want to run a cable straight across a room, make sure you tape it securely down so it isn’t so easy for people to catch a foot in.

Another way to stay safe at home is to add slip proof decals to your tub or shower bottom. Outside the shower or tub, make sure you have a rug with a slip proof backing. (I know. You’ve heard that piece of advice a thousand times before. But do you have slip proof decals in the bottom of your tub?)

Get a claw tool and use it to reach things that are too high for you to get to easily. Standing on your toes on a swivel stool to try to reach something? Not safe. Standing on the ground and using a claw to firmly grasp and move the item? A lot safer.

Use step stools or step ladders properly. Make sure they are fully opened and level. Don’t stand on top of a step ladder to reach another inch or so. Have someone nearby to steady your ladder.

Use tape or treads on stairs to lessen the chance that someone will slip on the stairs. Make sure that all toys and other belongings are kept off the stairs.

Do you have any tips for minimizing slip and fall problems?

Photo: SXC

Post from: Blisstree

Home Safety – Minimizing Slip and Fall Problems

Carrying around hurt and anger is harmful in many ways — spiritually, physically and mentally. Who exactly should you forgive, and how do you go about it?

Connie Domino, author of The Law of Forgiveness, says you should forgive everyone. She offers some tips on forgiveness, including a visualization technique, in her article, “Ten People You Need to Forgive Now,” which she has shared for you below. Forgiveness can be more simple and easier than you have imagined, and the rewards of forgiveness can be great.

Connie’s article serves to remind us that perhaps we’re making forgiveness more complicated than it needs to be. Plus, she reminds us that forgiveness isn’t the same as a pardon, and it’s the person who forgives who benefits.

Ten People You Need to Forgive Now
By Connie Domino, MPH, RN,
Author of The Law of Forgiveness: Tap into the Positive Power of Forgiveness — And Attract Good Things to Your Life

It’s that time of year when people begin thinking about making their New Year’s resolutions. For those who make resolutions year after year but never succeed, there is good news. This year you can take a whole new approach to making your dreams come true. By using a simple forgiveness technique, you can more easily and quickly meet your goals. Many of you may be surprised to see the words “forgiving” and “meeting goals” in the same sentence. I felt the same way until I began teaching a goal setting workshop for spiritually minded people in 2001. I found that lack of forgiveness was blocking them from meeting goals in every area of life.

One of the first things my workshop participants wanted to know is who they should forgive and how to know when they need to forgive. You may be wondering the same thing. You should forgive everyone you feel anger or resentment for from the sandbox right up until today. Then say one more forgiveness affirmation for anyone you may have forgotten. You do not need to contact anyone. You can forgive right in the privacy of your own home.

Bring each of the people listed below into your mind’s eye one at a time. Visualize them looking happy and peaceful. Then repeat an affirmation of forgiveness to them, something like this. “I forgive you completely and freely. I release you and let you go. The incident that happened between us is finished forever. I wish for you your highest good and I hold you in the light. All again is straight between us and peace be with you.” Then visualize them accepting your forgiveness and walking off a stage or out the door.

Here are ten people you need to forgive now:

Parents

Parents are usually on the top of the forgiveness list for many people. They blame their bad childhood for everything that has gone wrong. Most parents did the best they could with what they had to work with. However, even if they didn’t, you can tie up most of the energy you need to meet dreams and goals in your life by continuing to harbor anger and resentment towards your parents. Forgiveness is not something you do for undeserving people. It does not mean they were correct in their actions that hurt you. Forgiveness is something you do for yourself. It releases the hold the past has on your life, allowing you to meet your dreams and goals.

Spouses/Significant Others

This one is a hot topic in my goal setting and forgiveness workshops. It’s all about Ex’s and money and money and Ex’s — which I found do not make for a good combination. Through romantic novels, movies, and TV some of us may have come to expect more from that one special person in our lives than they can possible deliver. Sociologists who study the history of romance and marriage tell us that there are at least two primary reasons so many of our marriages fail. One is that modern Americans are one of the most marrying societies in written history. We have more marriages than ever recorded leading to more divorces than in the past. In addition, marriage has been so romanticized, we expect our spouses to meet more of our needs as opposed to married or dating people of past generations. The higher your expectations for your spouse or significant other, the greater the chance they will disappoint you. This unique situation requires more communication, more patience and more forgiveness than ever before.

Siblings, and other relatives

Most siblings (especially those born close together) experience some type of rivalry. These verbal and sometimes physical fights as children can take their toll. As adults we may need some professional assistance to discern if the line was crossed between kids having a normal amount of rivalry and whether the relationship was actually abusive. It’s easy for one child to be picked on more than others and parents may not realize the damage this produces if they chalk it up to normal sibling rousting. Forgiveness can provide great healing for anyone who has experienced an abusive relationship with one or more siblings. Forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetting, it means viewing the situation with new eyes. Often adults who didn’t get along with their siblings as children find they can develop loving and supportive relationships as adults. However, it is important to know that you can forgive without reconciling the relationship. It may not even be appropriate to reconcile certain relationships. Forgiveness will still work whether you reconcile or not. You may need to forgive other relatives too. Maybe your children made you angry, didn’t meet your expectations or never call or come to visit. Forgive your children. Life is much too short and they are much too special.

Friends

It can be especially painful when you have been hurt by a friend. Friends are people you have made a conscious decision to be in relationship with. The special relationship we develop with friends usually involves mutual trust. When we are betrayed by a friend, we may begin to question our ability to recognize qualities we hold dear such as loyalty and honesty. We may wonder if we possess some sort of character flaw that makes us susceptible to attracting people who take advantage of our good nature.

Forgiveness is especially important to heal when we are hurt by a friend.

Supervisor/Boss

People who work full time may spend more waking hours at work than at home. When at home, most people have some authority over their routine, but at work, the boss is in control. Those of us fortunate enough to have a supportive, flexible and understanding supervisor are truly blessed. When most people join the working world, it doesn’t take long to discover that a significant number of people in supervisory positions are not cut out for the job. Forgiveness, even on a daily basis, can become an important strategy for making peace with the boss.

Coworkers

If making an effort to get along with your supervisor isn’t enough to spice up your work life, there’s always co-workers to make things even more interesting. There may be days you feel more like you are in junior high school rather than work. By the time most people are adults, they have developed set patterns for establishing their place in the tribal society we call “the workplace.” While many co-workers are actually helpful and supportive, there always seems to be at least one or two who are bent on taking the “fun” out of dysfunctional. If your work environment has become emotionally toxic, forgiveness can provide the scrubbing bubbles needed to clean it up.

Governments/public agencies and organizations

It’s very easy to get mad at a non-personal entity such as a government or other public agency. It has become obvious that too many elected officials seem to have forgotten that it is the people who elected them they represent and not lobbyists and their generous donors. Also, big bureaucracies can seem cold and uncaring. Those trying to receive their services may feel like another number or just a statistic. When forgiving a government or public agency it is important to remember that it is still people who make up the agency. It is still people who need to be forgiven.

Private businesses/agencies/organizations

Many people who lost trust in governments to help solve their problems turned to the private sector and the business world. As baby boomers we were taught by our parents that if we were good, loyal, hardworking employees hired by a reputable company that we could expect to be taken care of by that company with frequent raises, benefits and a nice retirement package. When we were first married, my husband worked for a company that we thought met this description. He had faithfully worked there for 25 years when the company’s leadership announced they were sending his job and others overseas to a contracting company where they could hire cheap labor. Along with many other American workers, we felt betrayed. It took my husband several years of searching to land a job with a similar company. We had both forgiven all the people we could think of from our past and present, but had not thought of forgiving a company. When we fully forgave my husband’s company, the job he wanted hired him within two weeks. Forgiveness works when directed at individuals and just as well when directed at businesses.

God/Higher Power/Religions

I am always surprised by the people who claim to be angry with God or their higher power. They believe that God should intervene constantly in human events, preventing bad things from happening to good people. They may be forgetting that it is free will that makes us distinctly human. This includes the free will to do good or the free will to get into trouble. If given the choice, I believe most people would refuse to relinquish their free will, even if it came with a guarantee of a robotic but more peaceful existence. With any type of freedom comes responsibility. Instead of blaming God, this means accepting responsibility for our actions and holding others accountable for their actions. Forgiveness is not the same thing as pardon, but it does unbind the hold another person may have on your life. It releases the past to make way for a more positive future.

Yourself

Some people have a more difficult time forgiving themselves as opposed to others. They feel guilt and shame for events that have long past. They blame themselves and become their own worst enemy. When you begin working on your forgiveness list, don’t forget to place yourself at the top. Forgiving yourself will lighten your burden and make it so much easier to forgive others.

©2009 Connie Domino, MPH, RN, author of The Law of Forgiveness: Tap into the Positive Power of Forgiveness — And Attract Good Things to Your Life

Author Bio
Connie Domino, MPH, RN, author of The Law of Forgiveness: Tap into the Positive Power of Forgiveness — And Attract Good Things to Your Life, is a nationally acclaimed life coach, trainer, registered nurse, support group facilitator, motivational speaker, and educational counselor who teaches public health nursing at the University of North Carolina.

You can read more about Connie’s forgiveness book at thelawofforgiveness.com.

(Image via Berkley Trade)

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Forgiveness for the New Year